Machine for cleaning sheet metal



(No Model.)

- 4 Sheets-Shet 1. G. A. WETTENGEL. MACHINE FOR CLEANING SHEET METAL.

Patented Nov. 26, 1895.-

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(No Model.)-

0. A. WETTENGEL MACHINE FOR CLEANING SHEET METAL. No. 550,430.

PatentedNov;

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(No Model.) 4SheetsS1 1eet 3. C. A. WETTENGEL. I MAGHINE POR CLEANING SHEET METAL. No. 550,430.

Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

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5 c. A. WETTENGEL. MACHINE FOR CLEANING SHEET METAL.

No. 550,430. Patented'Nov. 25, 1895.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ALBERT IVETTENGEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING SHEET METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,430, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed August 19, 1892. Serial No. 443,537. (No modelJ.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ALBERT WET- TENGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Sheet Metal; and I do hereby declare the following; to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is a new and useful machine for cleaning and polishing sheet metal; and it consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention and several slight modifications thereof, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine for cleaning and polishing sheet metal embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the machine. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the arrangement of the cleaning and polishing belts and their driving-chain. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a slightly-modified form of machine. Fig. 6 is aview showinga slightly-modified arrangement of the cleaning and polishing belts and means for feeding absorbent material thereto. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing a different form of cleaning and polishing belt. Fig. 8 is aview of a machine fitted with a different form of cleaning-belt and adapted for scouring and cleaning sheet metal. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a portion of a machine embodying my invention, showin g driving devices for giving a reciprocating movement to the cleaning-belts. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine which will readily and effectively clean and polish sheet metal, and it is designed especially for cleaning and polishing sheet-tin after it leaves the bath of oil or tallow to which it is subjected after passing through the tin-bath; but by making very slight changes it may be readily adapted for cleaning the sheet-iron before it is tinned, as will be hereinafter described.

In the form of machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, A represents the supporting framework, upon which are mounted two pairs of feeding-rollers, the feeding-in rollers B B and feeding-out rollers O O. On the outer side of the feeding-in rollers B B is located a box or receptacle D for the reception of absorbent material, and I provide means for reciprocating the said box to bring fresh portions of the material into contact with the sheet metal as it passes through, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 5. The side walls of the receptacle or box D are provided with horizontal slits or apertures (Z for the passage of the sheet of metal, and the said walls will preferably be cut away on the side of the slit at which the sheet enters, in order to provide inclined surfaces cl d, which will serve to guide the front edge of the sheet to the slit d. The side walls of box D are provided with guides 61 in the path of the metal sheet for guiding the same in its passage through the box.

Between the feedingin and feeding out rollers are shown two pairs of horizontallydisposed cleaning .and polishing belts E E and E E, which are supported by rollers e e and e e, suitably mounted in the machine. The belts will be so arranged that the horizontal portions of one of each pair will run adjacent to the horizontal portion of the other and preferably in the opposite direction, and

while any form of gearing may be employed for imparting motion to said rollers I prefer to gear each pair as shown in Fig. l. In this figure one pair of belts is shown engaging their supporting-rollers, and each roller has secured to its shaft or formed integrally therewith a sprocket-Wheel 6 A single driving-chain e engages the outside of the sprockets of the four rollers which support a pair of belts, and by this arrangement the adjacenthorizontal portions of the belts will travel in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 4, and the full width between the centers of the rollers from one side of the machine to the other may be used for cleaning and polishing the metal.

When the machine is to be used for cleaning the grease from tin-plate and finishing the same, I preferably employ belts E and E, made of sheepskin .with the wool on the outside or of leather covered with sheepskin; but I may employ any other material which will answer the purpose. The plates will be passed through the box D, which is filled With bran or other suitable material, and will become coated with the bran, which has a tendency to absorb the grease on the surface of the tin. As soon as the plate emerges from the box D, it will pass between the feedingin rollers which feed it forward. The rollers will hold it against lateral movement, and the reciprocation of the bran-box D will bring fresh portions of the bra-n into contact with the plate as it passes through thebox. ,Passing through the rollers B B the plate will be engaged on both sides by the cleaning and polishing belts, which will brush ofi the bran. or other material, taking most of the oil or grease with it, cleaning the tin. The plate then passes between the belts EE, which further clean and polish the sheet, and it then passes between the feeding-out rollers and out of the machine.

It will be seen that the belts operatetransversely of the direction of travel of .the plates through the machine, so that the bran .or othermaterial, together withthe grease'and all dirt or other foreign matter, will be brushed laterally entirely off of the plate.

The belts operate in different directions 011 opposite sides of. the plate, and hence all tendency of the plate to crowd to one side or the otheris avoided.

I may provide a receptacle for supplying fresh bran or other materialto the platebetween the two belts, if desired or found necessary, as shownin dotted lines at: F.in Fig. 3, and in case plates of less length than the distance between the feeding-in and feedingrout rollers are being cleaned I ,may provide a pair of auxiliary feeding-rollers betweenthe belts E and E, as shown at G. G inFig. 3.

In order to prevent the beltsE and E from becoming gummed up with oil. or grease. and an accumulationof bran or other material employed, I provide one or inorecleaningbrushesII, suitably secured. to the frame and adapted to engage the cleaning side of the belt. I also provide a trough or receptacle I, having an inclined bottom located beneath the machine to catch the bran afterit has been used, and it may then be used over again, if desired. In Fig. 2 I have shown in dotted lines at .J an elevating-conveyor for carrying the said material up and delivering it into the box D, so that it may be arsed again.

I11 Fig. 1 I have shown avertical box K, engaging the rollers. of. one pair of belts, and by supplying the boxwithbran or other material it willbe fed to the belts as they are carried through the box by the rollers. .I may employ one of said boxes, as shown in Fig. 1, or one for each pair of rollers, or I belt.

may provide other Ineansof supplying bran to therbelts.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a box or hopper L at each end of the pair of belts, having discharge apertures or spoutsZ Z, adapted to discharge the absorbent material upon the belts to facilitate their operation.

In order to insure the belts engaging the sheet of metal with sufficient friction to clean and polish it eifectively, I may prefer to provide the bearings for certain of the rollers which carrythe belts ,with adjusting devices for adjusting the tension of the belts and also for adjusting the upper belt toward the lower, or vice versa. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown one arrangement .for accomplishing this. In the constructionshown in said figures the bearings for one rollerof each of the lower belts is adjustable to tightenthc with .means for adjusting them toward and from each other and also Vertically toward and from the otherbelt. Inthis instance I have shown the bearing-supports for the upper-belt rollers provided with recesses 6 (see Fig. 2,) in which arelocated two triangular blockse, in the upper 0116.0LEQV11IC11 is 1ocated the bearingfor the roller. Set-screws pass through the bearing -supportand engage the blocks 6 6 which have their inclined faces in engagement, so that by .means of said=blocks and. screws therollers may be adjusted farther aparttotighten the belt :and also .verticallyto :bring it nearer the other Any otheradjusting .means maybe employed for accomplishing this result, and I may provide the bearings .of one roller of each beltwith a tension spring or weight to exert. a constant tension upon the belt, .if desired, as indioatedlin dotted lines in:F1'g.,2.

The adjusting devices before describedwill also ibe used to adjust the belts nearertogether to compensate for the wear .of their surfacesby friction in passing over the sheet metal in cleaning and polishing-the.same.

Ifitis desired;to further secure the frictional engagement of the beltswith the plates to be cleaned, ,I provide a series of compression-rollers M M, as shown in Fig. 6,. or other compressing devicestofhold the-belts'E' together in close frictional contact with the plates as theypass through themachine. 10116 set. of such .rollerswill have their bearings providedwithset-screws or other; adjusting means forregulating the amount of pressure brought to bearupon the belts.

In Fig. '7 Iihaveshown .a construction in which only a single belt is employed to .rub both sides of. the plate, instead oftwo, as in the other figures. :In. thisfigure the .beltE' passes over suitable rollers LE rE and hasits inner surface provided with ,.sheepskin or other material to engage thesheet metal to be cleaned. ,Oneside of the beltis engagediby apair of idle-rollers E 11. and held adjacent to the other portion to operate with it upon the sheet metal. In this figure I have shown a compressing device consisting of a stationary guide-plate N, engaging the outside of the belt on one side of the path of the metal sheet, and an adjustable plate N, engaging the belt on the other side, the adjustment of the plate N being secured by set-screws, as shown, or other means.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly-modified form of machine, in which I employ but a single pair of polishing and cleaning belts and locate the box D for holding the bran or other material between the feeding-in rollers and the said belts. The box is shown adapted for reciprocation, as before described with reference to Fig. 1. The construction and operation of the parts shown in this figure are the same as before described, the only difference being in the location and arrangements of the parts.

In Fig. 8 I have shown my improved machine adapted and arranged to clean the iron plate before it passes to the tinning-bath. In this form the feeding-in and feeding-out rollers will be employed, as before described; but the belts E instead of being supplied with sheepskin, will be provided with suitable brushes O, as shown, which will engage the metal plates. The hoppers L L will be filled with sand or other abrasive material, which they will feed to the brushes to assist in cleaning the metal plates, and a water-pipe P will be located and supported in position to supply water to the plates as they pass through the machine, so that they will be thoroughly scoured. I

By making these slight variations it will be seen that the machine can be adapted for use in cleaning the sheet-iron before it passes to the tinning-bath.

WVhile I have described and shown my improved machine adapted to operate on sheet metal passing through said machine in a hori- Zontal position, it is obvious that the machine could'be arranged to operate on the metal in a vertical position, if desired.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the box D for holdin g bran or other absorbent material provided with apertures in the bottom of the same. This enables the bran to sift down and constantly bring fresh portions into contact with the surface of the metal sheets as they are passed through said box, and said box may be located in rear of the feeding-in rollers, as shown in this figure, or in front of them, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

It is also obvious that instead of giving the cleaning-belts a continuous travel I may have them reciprocated across the path of the metal, if found desirable, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. In these figures I have shown the shaft P of one of the feeding-rollers provided with an eccentric Q and an eccentric-rod q, which is connected pivotally with a pivoted gear-segment R. The segment R is in enin the other figures. By this means the cleaning-belts will be driven first in one direction and then in the other, instead of having a continuous movement.

I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, as variations may be made therein, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for cleaning sheet metal, the combination with the feeding devices, of cleaning belts having their metal engaging sides provided with a coating of fibrous absorbent material and stationary brushes for engaging the said fibrous material, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for cleaning sheet metal the combination with the feeding devices, of a pair of cleaning belts having their metal engaging sides provided with a coating of fibrous material, means for supplying absorbent material to the portions of the belt adapted to engage the metal, and brushes engaging portions of the belt out of the path of the metal, for cleaning them and removing the used absorbent material, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for cleaning sheet metal, the combination with the feeding devices, of the reciprocating receptacle for cleaning material, disposed transversely of the travel of the metal through the machine and the cleaning belts, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for cleaning sheet metal, the combination with the feeding devices, of

a pair of cleaningbelts, areeeptacle for cleaning material partially surrounding portions of each of said belts, whereby said belts will receive cleaning material while passing through said receptacle, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for cleaning sheet metal the combination with the feeding devices, of a pair of cleaning belts disposed horizontally one above the other, andavertically disposed receptacle for cleaning material partially inclosing portions of each of said belts located at one side of the machine, whereby said belts will receive cleaning material while passing through said receptacle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES ALBERT WET'IENGEL.

- Witnesses:

L. P. WHITAKER, E. P. HUBBARD.

IIO 

